Michelle Obama Offers Dating Advice for Women

You simply cannot talk about 2009 without talking about Michelle Obama, so it should come as no surprise that Glamour asked her to pose for the cover of their annual Women of the Year issue.

Glamour is honoring First Lady Michelle Obama with a Special Recognition award for her commitment to mentoring young women, but Michelle thought she'd take a moment and offer young women some dating advice while she had our attention.

In the issue she talks about dating, her personal style and why being a mentor to young women is so important. Here are some highlights from the interview:

Michelle on dating advice for women: “Cute’s good. But cute only lasts for so long, and then it’s, Who are you as a person? Don’t look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul…. When you’re dating a man, you should always feel good…. You shouldn’t be in a relationship with somebody who doesn’t make you completely happy and make you feel whole.”

Michelle on her personal style:“People are always going to have opinions, and people have a right to their opinions, particularly when you’re the First Lady; you’re representing the nation. So I can’t be surprised that people are interested. But I’ve tried to be at peace with the choices that I make first, and then be open to everyone else’s reflection.”

Michelle on keeping her sanity: “I have always tried to put my kids first, and then…put myself a really close second, as opposed to fifth or seventh. One thing that I’ve learned from male role models is that they don’t hesitate to invest in themselves.”

Michelle on her personal role models: “My mom, for sure. My dad. The teachers. For me, role-modeling was immediate, it was touchable…Children connect with who is in their lives, present and accounted for…That’s why we’re trying to encourage moms, teachers, fathers, to be that presence in their children’s lives, in their communities, because it really makes a difference.”

Michelle on being a mentor:

“I think that mentoring is such a critical part of the role I can play in this position. I see how little bits of exposure and big bits of exposure really change my girls significantly, and I want that for more girls around the country and the world.”